Nanning

Welcome to Nanning – the lush and tropical ‘Green City’ of China, the country’s gateway to ASEAN, and a fast-changing urban hub for tourist and business visitors alike. Thanks to the region’s pleasing climate, Nanning's abundance of parks and gardens are enjoyed by residents all year round. The city is also the perfect base for exploring the breathtaking natural scenery of the surrounding Guangxi area, while excellent rail links connect you to 22 cities across China in under 24 hours.

1/5The spectacular Detian Waterfall – the largest transnational waterfall in Asia – can be reached in under three hours from Nanning on a direct shuttle bus.

2/5Nanning’s many gardens and parks – including the popular including Folk Song Scenic Spot and Nanning Shishan Park (pictured) – are home to more than 3,000 species of plants.

3/5Built more than a thousand years ago, Yangmei Ancient Town contains well-preserved examples of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture – easily reached by a short bus ride from the centre of Nanning.

4/5Yangmei Ancient Town also hosts May’s annual dragon boat competition during Duanwu Festival – where competitors take part in a traditional worship ceremony before racing down the Yangmei River.

5/5Guangxi province’s cuisine bears a distinct Cantonese influence. Head to Zhongshan Snack Street and look out for local favourites such as laoyou rice noodles, lemon duck, and five-colour glutinous rice.

1/5

The spectacular Detian Waterfall – the largest transnational waterfall in Asia – can be reached in under three hours from Nanning on a direct shuttle bus.

2/5

Nanning’s many gardens and parks – including the popular including Folk Song Scenic Spot and Nanning Shishan Park (pictured) – are home to more than 3,000 species of plants.

3/5

Built more than a thousand years ago, Yangmei Ancient Town contains well-preserved examples of Ming and Qing dynasty architecture – easily reached by a short bus ride from the centre of Nanning.

4/5

Yangmei Ancient Town also hosts May’s annual dragon boat competition during Duanwu Festival – where competitors take part in a traditional worship ceremony before racing down the Yangmei River.

5/5

Guangxi province’s cuisine bears a distinct Cantonese influence. Head to Zhongshan Snack Street and look out for local favourites such as laoyou rice noodles, lemon duck, and five-colour glutinous rice.

Things to do

Things to do

We've chosen the must-see highlights of this fantastic city.

Do

Jiahe City Hot Spring Valley

This expansive hot spring resort located 13 kilometres outside of central Nanning features a spa, swimming pool, small water park, and more than 100 different hot spring pools of varying sizes and temperatures. Set among trees and gardens, the pools are themed around different countries: China, Japan, Turkey, Finland, Thailand, and Jordan among them. There’s also a pool where small fish will nibble at your feet. It can get busy at weekends and there are occasionally some cheesy performances in the central square, but it is generally possible to escape the crowds – and when you’re done, there’s also an 18-hole golf course as part of the same complex.

Jiahe City Hot Spring Valley www.jhcwq.com

See

Symphony Hall

Regarded as one of the two or three finest halls in the world, Symphony Hall opened in 1900 and was the first concert hall designed with acoustical principles in mind. No matter where you sit, you can enjoy crisp sound quality and a great view of the musical performance before you.

Chief among Nanning’s myriad parks and gardens is the area of greenery that surrounds Qingxiu Mountain. Once out in the countryside, the slopes have been encircled over the years by the city’s expansion, but it’s still an extensive green escape that attracts hordes of visitors. The area includes picnic-able open grass spaces, a lake, and colourful flower beds throughout. Qingxiu itself is really more of a hill than a mountain – it’ll take you around an hour to climb depending on how many diversions you take en route – but it’s worth heading up for the views afforded from the modern monastery and rebuilt Dragon Elephant Pagoda at its peak.

Qinfxiu Shan Scenic Area www.qxsfjq.com

Do

Guangxi Museum of Nationalities

Guangxi is home to around 90 percent of Zhuang people, the largest ethnic minority group in China, as well as populations of Miao, Dong, Yi, Hui and Yao among others. Located at the foot of Qingxiu Mountain, this museum provides an informative overview of these groups and their customs through original artifacts, models, and – in the gardens out the back – imitation traditional-style buildings. The museum’s collection includes everything from traditional costumes and early examples of minority scripts, to masks, puppets and even Mao-era propaganda posters.

Guangxi Museum of Nationalities www.gxmn.org

Eat

Traditional Nanning eats

While foreigners in search of European food flock to Babel (131 Minsheng Lu), those looking for something more authentically local head to restaurants like Ganjia Jiepai Lemon Duck. You’ll find a number of branches around town, all with interiors decked out with traditional art and crafts, friendly staff who may well treat you to a traditional song or dance, and menus full of regional favourites. The signature dish here comes in large, bony portions with pickled peppers adding a sour spicy flavour. For an even cheaper, studenty alternative, Brothers Restaurant menu includes items such as barbecued veal on skewers, river snail and duck feet hotpot, seafood platters, grilled aubergine and the ubiquitous Guangxi rice noodles. The local specialties are best enjoyed in the section of the eatery made out to look like an old Nanning street, allowing you to sit at tables dotted among faux doorways, with laundry hanging overhead under a fake sky.

Do

Parks and gardens

Nanning doesn’t trumpet itself as a ‘green city’ for nothing; you’re never far from some flora here, even downtown, with bright flowers and floppy palm fronds adding a tropical vibe. People’s Park is an a classic Chinese inner-city park, with a large central lake, fish ponds, and walkways through the trees, where you’ll stumble upon old folks playing mahjong, exercising, or just having a natter. At weekends, it’s especially popular with families, in part thanks to an old-school fair ground area that features dodgems, carousels, and a Ferris wheel. Similarly, Nanhu (‘South Lake’) Park also has a small amusement park and manicured flower beds, but what really sets it apart – as the name suggests – is the expanse of water at its heart. Its convenient downtown location means that the lake is a popular spot for Nanning’s residents to walk around or hang out beside, which in turn means that you can join them for a leisurely stroll or a good dose of people-watching.

Boasting a history that stretches back over 1,000 years, Yangmei Ancient Town has unfortunately undergone some slightly over-zealous ‘renovations’ in certain areas to give much of the Ming and Qing dynasty architecture a distinctly new feeling. Nevertheless, there are a handful of legitimately old buildings and it’s a pleasant enough destination for those looking for a change of scenery. This is especially the case during the Dragon Boat Festival (dependent upon the lunar calendar, but usually held around June) where dragon boat competitors take part in a traditional worship ceremony before racing down the river.

Eat

Zhongshan Lu Night Market

You might not find Michelin star-worthy haute cuisine on Zhongshan Lu, but Nanning’s most famous night market is a fun and highly Instagrammable spectacle nonetheless. Dive into the bustling collection of food stalls and hole-in-the-wall restaurants for water chestnut cakes, five-colour sticky rice, lemon duck and all manner of grilled meats and seafood on skewers. Looking for a particularly local specialty? Try the ‘laoyou fen’ (‘old friend noodles’), Nanning’s answer to the more famous Guilin mi fen, which pairs gloopy rice noodles with pickled bamboo and fermented soy beans in a pork broth. Come after 7pm, come hungry, and come feeling adventurous.

Shop

Faneuil Hall Marketplace

This lively marketplace is made up of three 19th century buildings -- the South Market, the North Market and Quincy Market -- and exudes an infectious energy that isn't found in any other part of the city. The shops here include big brands such as Victoria's Secret to local artisans and craftsmen showcasing talented masterpieces. The colourful street performers and outdoor cafés keep the marketplace festive all year round.

This expansive hot spring resort located 13 kilometres outside of central Nanning features a spa, swimming pool, small water park, and more than 100 different hot spring pools of varying sizes and temperatures. Set among trees and gardens, the pools are themed around different countries: China, Japan, Turkey, Finland, Thailand, and Jordan among them. There’s also a pool where small fish will nibble at your feet. It can get busy at weekends and there are occasionally some cheesy performances in the central square, but it is generally possible to escape the crowds – and when you’re done, there’s also an 18-hole golf course as part of the same complex.

Jiahe City Hot Spring Valley www.jhcwq.com

Drink

Samuel Adams Brewery

An unabashed beer town, Boston is the home to many fine breweries. The most famous of these is named after one of America's revolutionary leaders -- Samuel Adams -- a patriot who was also an enthusiastic brewer. Taste the malts, smell the hops and experience the brewing process here from start to finish.

Please note that for online bookings, infants under two will not occupy their own seat. To book an infant-occupied seat, or if your infant turns two during your trip, please contact your local reservations office.